In summer, sebum secretion is exuberant, metabolism is vigorous, and local microbiota imbalance can cause pore blockage. Traditional Chinese medicine refers to acne as acne. Acne can be mainly divided into the following three types:
Lung Heat Accumulation Type: Main symptoms include the initial appearance of acne, redness, swelling and pain, facial itching, dry mouth, yellow urine, dry stools, red tongue with yellow coating, and floating and rapid pulse.
Spleen-Stomach Damp-Heat Type: Main symptoms include recurrent and continuous appearance of acne, the ability to squeeze out yellowish-white sebum plugs similar to broken rice grains, or pus, oily and shiny face, accompanied by bad breath, bitter taste in mouth, fluctuating appetite, sticky and uncomfortable stools, red tongue with yellow and greasy coating, and wiry and rapid pulse.
Blood Stasis and Phlegm Congealing Type: Main symptoms include long-lasting and hard-to-eliminate acne, pain when touched, or uneven skin texture resembling orange peel, females may have less menstrual flow, dysmenorrhea, and worsening acne during menstruation, dark and thin tongue coating, and rough pulse. This type is commonly seen in patients with long-term chronic acne.
Differentiation and treatment:
For Lung Heat Accumulation Type, the treatment focuses on clearing lung and cooling blood. The commonly used prescription is Pi Pa Qing Fei Yin, with main ingredients such as loquat leaf, mulberry bark, anemarrhena, scutellaria, honeysuckle, red spoon, rehmannia, gypsum, and licorice.
For Spleen-Stomach Damp-Heat Type, the treatment focuses on clearing and promoting the elimination of damp-heat. The commonly used prescription is Qin Lian Ping Wei San, with main ingredients such as coptis, scutellaria, white atractylodes, magnolia bark, snake tongue grass, agastache, Liu Yi San, and licorice.
For Blood Stasis and Phlegm Congealing Type, the treatment focuses on promoting blood circulation, resolving phlegm, and dispersing hard masses. The commonly used prescription is Da Huang Zhe Chong San, with main ingredients such as rhubarb, silkworm, leech, snake tongue grass, peach kernel, safflower, motherwort, tangerine peel, white atractylodes, and licorice.
Diet: Pay attention to consuming less beef, lamb, chili, fried and greasy foods, as well as excessively sweet foods like chocolate and candies (sugar increases fat, and sebum production increases as well). Eat more vegetables, fruits, and drink mung bean soup (clears heat and detoxifies).
Drink: You can drink water infused with rose, rosehip, and honeysuckle to soothe the liver, regulate qi, and clear liver fire.
Mask: Use honeysuckle, wild chrysanthemum, and scutellaria (clear heat and eliminate dampness), add a little water, and make a face mask. Use it daily or every other day.
